Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Turkey: Kurds

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the recommendations in the verdict of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal on Turkey and Kurds, publishedin May; and whether they will discuss the findings within NATO.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is concerned by the ongoing violence in some areas of south-eastern Turkey. We condemn acts of violence by Kurdish militant groups, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and urge an end to the conflict and a resumption of the peace process between the PKK and the Turkish government. We regularly urge the Turkish authorities to respect human rights in the course of anti-terror operations, and the Foreign Secretary and Her Majesty's Ambassador to Turkey have been clear that the rule of law must be upheld and freedom of expression permitted. We have raised human rights concerns with Turkey within NATO meetings, and will continue to monitor these issues closely.

Kosovo: Rule of Law

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many records and witness statements are held by the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo as uncompleted cases involving sexual violence (1) in wartime, and (2) in post-war situations; what will happen to these; and whether copies of them will be deposited with theUN or another suitable international organisation.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: My Department does not hold information relating to the number of records or witness statements held by the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) as uncompleted cases.EULEX's current mandate ceases on 14 June. It is the Government's view that the time has come for Kosovo's judiciary to take on all responsibility for the adjudication of legal cases, including cases of sexual violence. During EULEX's reconfiguration period of 15 June to 14 December, case files will be handed over to the relevant Kosovo institutions, with the exception of classified files held or originated by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Kosovo Force (KFOR), Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) or EULEX itself. For access to such classified files, the Kosovo authorities must contact the relevant international organisation directly. Prior to the handover of case files, EULEX or its successor will conduct a full document review to ensure witness security and judicial integrity.

Balkans: Foreign Relations

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the agenda of the Western Balkans Summit meeting in July will be published in advance; whether it will include the issue of youth unemployment in the region; and to what extent regional non-governmental organisations will be involved.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The agenda of the Western Balkans Summit meeting in July will be shared with participants in advance. Details of the topics and themes the leaders and ministers will discuss are detailed on the .gov.uk Western Balkan Summit webpage, and more will be published as the Summit approaches.The Summit is an important opportunity for civil society and young people from across the region to share their views with attending leaders. We have engaged with civil society and youth prior to the Summit to help shape the agenda. They have told us that youth unemployment in the region is a major challenge, which they intend to raise with ministers at the Summit. The Summit will also focus on regional economic integration, connectivity, digital and entrepreneurship – all of which can significantly impact youth unemployment.Non-governmental organisations have been invited to the Summit to contribute their expertise and help shape initiatives.

Israel: Bedouin

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what bilateral and multilateral steps they are taking to uphold both international law and the principles of the Balfour Declaration to call for Israel to halt plans for the demolition of Khan Al Ahmar, the home of a Palestinian Bedouin community.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary issued a statement on 1 June stating that the UK is deeply concerned by the proposed demolition of the village of Khan al-Ahmar, noting the UN has said that the proposed demolitions could amount to “forcible transfer”, in violation of International Humanitarian Law and urging Israel not to proceed. The Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa visited the community on 30 May to stress UK concerns about the impact of the court case and in his meetings with the Israeli government he urged them to reconsider options so the community did not have to move, and pressed for more Palestinian planning applications to be approved.

Turkey: British Nationals Abroad

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British citizens are currently detained in Turkey.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In May 2018 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was aware of 41 British nationals detained in Turkey.

Turkey: Press Freedom

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance about personal safety they make available to British media and journalists visiting Turkey.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office maintains comprehensive, up to date travel advice for Turkey for all British nationals visiting or living in Turkey. This includes information and advice on matters of safety and security. We provide travel advice to help British nationals, including representatives of the media and journalists, make informed decisions about their travel and plan for a safe trip. The travel advice can be located at GOV.UK.

Sayed Alwadaei

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 May (HL7774), regarding family members of Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei in Bahrain, on which date they last discussed their case at a senior level with the government of Bahrain; and what was the outcome of that discussion.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As the noble Lord knows from answers to previous questions and correspondence with the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa (Mr Burt), we continue to monitor the cases of family members of Mr Alwadaei who were convicted for planting hoax bombs in Bahrain. We understand that there have been continued conversations between Mr Alwadaei and the independent oversight bodies who have carried out investigations into claims of concern about treatment in detention.We continue to encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report these to the appropriate oversight body and for these bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations.

Duaa Alwadaei

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 16 April (HL6839), how the charges against Duaa Alwadaeiwere confirmed; and what steps they took to verify the charges.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have been closely monitoring the case of Duaa Alwadaei who has been tried in absentia after failing to attend court on charges of assault. Officials from our Embassy in Bahrain were present at the hearing where the charges were read. The Government of Bahrain has also released public statements on the case.

Israel: Bedouin

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take following the Israeli High Court ruling to demolishKhan al-Ahmar, aBedouin village in the West Bank, despite campaigns by European governments to save it.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary issued a statement on 1 June stating that the UK is deeply concerned by the proposed demolition of the village of Khan al-Ahmar, noting the UN has said that the proposed demolitions could amount to “forcible transfer”, in violation of International Humanitarian Law and urging Israel not to proceed. The Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa visited the community on 30 May to stress UK concerns about the impact of the court case and in his meetings with the Israeli government he urged them to reconsider options so the community did not have to move, and pressed for more Palestinian planning applications to be approved.

Israel: Gaza

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whythe UK abstained from the vote for an investigationby the UN Human Rights Council into recent killings in Gaza.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK's Representative made clear in our statement that the UK fully supports and recognises the need for an independent and transparent investigation, which includes the extent to which Israeli security forces' rules of engagement are in line with international law, and the role Hamas played in events. The UK abstained on the resolution at the Human Rights Council because it was not impartial, and was unhelpfully unbalanced. We could not support an international investigation that is mandated to look at Israel's actions alone. This would not provide a comprehensive assessment of accountability. It would risk hardening positions on both sides and move us further away from a just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The UK has called directly on Israel to carry out a transparent inquiry into the Israeli Defence Forces’ conduct at the border fence and to demonstrate how this will achieve a sufficient level of independence. This investigation should include international members and the findings of such an investigation should be made public.

Israel: Gaza

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations theyhave made to the government of Israel about the blocking of a boat from Gaza which contained Palestinians requiring medical assistance and students trying to reach educational facilities away from Gaza.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not discussed this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we continue to call on the Government of Israel to ease movement and access restrictions into and out of Gaza. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa raised the importance of urgently improving the situation in Gaza with the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister during his visit to the region on 30 May, and the Foreign Secretary raised Gaza with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 16 May.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israelabout the decision made prior to any court ruling to evict Palestinians from their homes in Silwan to enable Israeli settlers to move in.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We regularly raise our concerns about the situation in East Jerusalem to the Israeli authorities, both bilaterally and in co-operation with EU partners. While we have not raised the specific issue of evictions from Silwan, we are clear that demolitions and evictions of Palestinians from their homes cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; call into question Israel’s commitment to a viable two-state solution; and, in all but the most exceptional of cases, are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa (Alistair Burt) visited the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah on 29 May and met a Palestinian family at imminent risk of eviction from their home.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel regardingits plans to bar access to the Israeli High Court for Palestinians in the West Bank.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are not aware of plans to bar access to the Israeli High Court for Palestinians in the West Bank. We are aware of a draft law which would seek to insist that petitions to the High Court are only filed by those individuals directly impacted by a law (and not non-governmental organisations or other organisations acting on their behalf). Our Embassy sought clarifications about this proposed law from the relevant authorities on 15 March.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government what commitments they made to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April 2018; what resources were promised for each commitment; and what is the proposed timetable for the implementation of each commitment.

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government what commitments were made to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April 2018 for which they have shared responsibility; what resources were promised for each commitment; and what is the proposed timetable for the implementation of each commitment.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As stated in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting: Written statement (HLWS616) made by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park on 23 April, we agreed a range of actions with fellow members to build a Commonwealth which is fairer, more sustainable, more secure and more prosperous. These commitments were captured in a Communiqué and accompanying Leaders' Statement, copies of which have been placed in the House of Commons Library by the Prime Minister. We refer the noble Lord to these statements and documents.

Department of Health and Social Care

Hospital Beds

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many NHS hospital beds there were in England in (1) 1997, (2) 2007, and (3) 2017.

lord o'shaughnessy: From April 2010, NHS England started to publish quarterly information on the numbers of available and occupied beds open overnight and day only within National Health Service organisations. Previously, annual data was published.A table showing the numbers of NHS hospital beds for the requested years is attached due to the size of the data.There has been a long-term reduction in the number of general and acute beds open overnight because hospitals are dealing with patients more efficiently. The NHS now performs more day cases, length of stay is decreasing and more people are treated in community settings.



NHS Hospital Bed numbers
(Word Document, 23.76 KB)

Out-patients: Attendance

lord dobbs: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord O'Shaughnessy on 19 March (HL6008), why the information surrounding the number of missed appointments at hospital out-patient services is not collected centrally.

lord o'shaughnessy: As stated in my answer of 19 March 2018, data for missed outpatient appointments is routinely collected and published.Data for missed outpatient appointments in the years 2006-07 to 2016-17 is provided in the following table. This includes consultant and non-consultant-led appointments.YearTotal outpatient appointmentsDid not attend (DNA) appointmentsDNA appointments as % of total appointments2006-0763,217,2265,311,9668.4%2007-0866,649,4845,553,2448.3%2008-0974,853,4935,993,6808.0%2009-1084,198,4586,690,2587.9%2010-1187,998,5056,883,8867.8%2011-1290,956,8446,785,0347.5%2012-1394,091,7486,860,2227.3%2013-14101,844,8247,095,8397.0%2014-15107,188,4237,442,9496.9%2015-16113,298,6617,519,8296.6%2016-17118,578,9127,938,0096.7%Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS DigitalThis is a count of hospital appointments, not individual patients, as the same person may have been booked into a National Health Service hospital on more than one occasion.Information surrounding the cost of missed appointments at hospital out-patient services is not collected centrally.

Personal Health Budgets

lord turnberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manypatients are currently in receipt of an NHS personal health budget; and what was the total cost of that scheme for each of the last three years for which figures are available.

lord o'shaughnessy: 28,040 individuals were in receipt of a personal health budget as of 2017-18 Q4.In terms of the total cost of personal health budgets for each of the last three years, these figures are not held centrally, as it is clinical commissioning groups who have the duty to commission and deliver personal health budgets.Personal health budgets use existing National Health Service money that would already have been spent on an individual, in a different way that meets the individual’s identified health needs. Evidence suggests that at worst, personal health budgets are cost-neutral, whilst demonstrating an ability to improve outcomes and enhance quality of life.

Ministry of Justice

False Imprisonment: Compensation

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total amount paid out for unlawful detention claims in 2017.

lord keen of elie: Information for the 2017-18 financial year is still going through audit and validation processes. This will be available once these processes are complete.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Empty Property

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what priority they place on the redevelopment of empty homes over new builds.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Tackling empty homes is essential to making the best use of the homes we already have. The Government has ensured that local authorities have powers and strong incentives to bring empty homes back in to use, and the number of empty homes has fallen to just over 200,000, down from 300,000 in 2010. These incentives and powers include the New Homes Bonus and the 50% council tax premium for homes empty for two years or longer. We have brought forward legislation that will double the maximum premium rate to 100%. We are also fully committed to delivering more of the right homes in the right places to fix the broken housing market. Our ambitious package of long term reforms puts us on track to create a housing market that delivers 300,000 homes a year on average by the middle of the next decade.

Empty Property: Council Tax

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government which local authorities in England have yet to take up the opportunity to apply a council tax premium of 50 per cent on unoccupied homes.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: 35 billing authorities in England did not apply a council tax premium in 2017-18 on homes that have been empty for two years or more – which is the latest year for which data is available centrally (see table below). Some of these authorities may have introduced the premium in 2018-19. Of the 291 billing authorities that applied a premium in 2017-18, three applied premiums at less than the 50% rate. These are Harrogate (25%), Richmondshire (10%) and Rutland (10%)Billing authorities that did not apply a council tax empty homes premium in 2017-18Amber ValleyBlabyBolsoverBromleyBromsgroveBroxbourneCastle PointCheltenhamChilternCity of LondonCorbyDerbyshire DalesDoverForest of DeanGloucesterGosportHambletonHarboroughHinckley & BosworthIsles of ScillyNew ForestNorth East DerbyshireNorth Lincolnshire UANorth Somerset UANorth TynesideNorth West LeicestershireRedditchRibble ValleyRushcliffeTendringTewkesburyWestminsterWinchesterWyreWyre Forest

Racial Discrimination

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are taking any action in response to the observations recorded and the issues raised in the End of Mission Statement of the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance at the Conclusion of Her Mission to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,ahead of her final report which will be submitted to the June 2019 session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The United Kingdom has a close working relationship with United Nations bodies and a standing invitation to all Special Rapporteurs, and is committed to upholding the rule of law and the rules-based international system. The Government will provide further information to the Special Rapporteur as necessary, and will respond to the Special Rapporteur’s country visit findings, conclusions and recommendations when these are presented to the Human Rights Council.

Tenants' Rights

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government when was their most recent engagement with representatives of the tenants' movement.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is working closely with some of the National Tenant Organisations which represent the interest of social tenants across England as part of the social housing review. The Housing Minister (Dominic Raab MP) met with representatives of the National Tenant Organisations in April.

Ministry of Defence

Military Aircraft

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to running Royal Air Force transport aircraft with civilian personnel, similar to the operation of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary for the Royal Navy; and what cost savings they estimate would be made.

earl howe: Although the Ministry of Defence routinely makes use of contractor and civil aviation aircraft for transportation purposes, there are no plans to establish a permanent uniformed organisation equivalent to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

European Fighter Aircraft

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be the cost per aircraft of Eurofighter Typhoon orders in the future.

earl howe: I am withholding the costs of Typhoon aircraft as their disclosure would prejudice our commercial interests.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many organisations and individuals contributed to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit consultation document;when the list of contributors will be published; and when their responsewill be published.

lord gardiner of kimble: Over 44,000 responses have been received to the government’s consultation “Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit”, which closed on 8 May 2018. Responses were received from a wide range of stakeholders including farmers, environmental and food and farming related organisations, and the general public. All responses are being analysed and a report of the findings will be published in due course. This will include further information on the demographics of respondents and a list of organisations who responded.

Home Office

Immigrants: Detainees

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been held in UK immigration detention centres for over two months in 2018.

baroness williams of trafford: Information on the number of people in detention, by length of detention is available in table dt_12_q of the detention tables in the latest release of ‘Immigration Statistics, year ending March 2018’, available from the GOV.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/709326/detention-mar-2018-tables.ods Table dt_12_q has also been attached for ease of reference. People in detention by length of detention As at end of quarterLength of detentionTotal detainees2018 Q1*Total2,7582018 Q1A: 3 days or less1822018 Q1B: 4 to 7 days1642018 Q1C: 8 to 14 days3352018 Q1D: 15 to 28 days4402018 Q1E: 29 days to less than 2 months5702018 Q1F: 2 months to less than 3 months2892018 Q1G: 3 months to less than 4 months1672018 Q1H: 4 months to less than 6 months2542018 Q1I: 6 months to less than 12 months2862018 Q1J: 12 months to less than 18 months552018 Q1K: 18 months to less than 24 months112018 Q1L: 24 months to less than 36 months42018 Q1M: 36 months to less than 48 months12018 Q1N: 48 months or more0



Table dt_12_q 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 47.52 KB)

Cabinet Office

Reviews

lord watts: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many independent reviews they have commissioned into Government policy or administration over the last year; and what was the total cost of those reviews.

lord watts: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many reviews commissioned into Government policy or administration in the last year have been published; and what is the criteria used to decide whether such reviews should be published.

lord young of cookham: Her Majesty’s Government does not hold this information centrally.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Hereditary Peers: By-elections

lord grocott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker,  following the announcement of the retirement of Lord Glentoran, which peers are eligible to (1) stand as candidates, and (2) vote, in the forthcoming hereditary peers by-elections.

lord mcfall of alcluith: In the forthcoming hereditary by-election for the Conservative vacancy, 211 peers are eligible to stand and 50 are eligible to vote. In the forthcoming hereditary by-election for the Crossbench vacancy, 211 peers are eligible to stand and 31 are eligible to vote.

Hereditary Peers: By-elections

lord grocott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether the hereditary peers by-elections for the vacancies created by the retirements of Earl Baldwin of Bewdley and Lord Glentoran will be held on the same day.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The by-election to replace Earl Baldwin of Bewdley will be held on 4 July and the by-election to replace Lord Glentoran will be held on 18 July.

Hereditary Peers: By-elections

lord grocott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether a hustings meeting for candidates in the impending hereditary peers by-elections will be arranged.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The arrangement of a hustings meeting is a matter for the party or group concerned.

Hereditary Peers: By-elections

lord grocott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether candidates in the forthcominghereditary peers by-elections will be required to publish an election manifesto.

lord mcfall of alcluith: Candidates will be invited, but not required, to submit statements (not exceeding 75 words) in support of their candidature. Such statements will be circulated by the House Administration to all electors and posted online.

Hereditary Peers: By-elections

lord grocott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether candidates in the forthcoming hereditary peers by-elections will be required to make a declaration of their financial interests.

lord mcfall of alcluith: No. The successful candidate will need to register his or her interests after joining the House in the same way as any other member.

Hereditary Peers: By-elections

lord grocott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether candidates in the forthcominghereditary peers by-elections will be subject to vetting by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

lord mcfall of alcluith: No; the House of Lords Appointments Commission does not have a role in the hereditary by-election process.